Get Ready for the Squeaks!!

[hoodat]

It always amazes me how early these little buggers start popping up. I just acquired permission to shoot on some property, and the owner said he has already see a few this year.

I've got a pretty good supply of squirrel shells for my 20-222, but haven't even tried out the new mold that I aquired for my 218 Bee. It's a fifty grain HP, with a missing HP pin. I better kick things into gear and quit relaxing so much when I'm off work. jd

[white eagle]

sounds like fun

[hoodat]

Attachment 275927
Attachment 275928

[dale2242]

I am getting excited to think sage rat (squeaks) season will be here soon.
Where are you hunting?
I`m not trying to horn in on your hunting ground, just a general area.
I have been hunting them in eastern Oregon
I`d like to know where they are showing...dale

[Texas by God]

The happy little kid made sure that the last sound THAT one heard was a CRICKET

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[405grain]

I've been reloading 223 since November just getting ready for sage rats. have 6 bricks of 22's saved up. I can't hardly wait, but still have a couple of months. I like to go in April when they're up and about in droves, but the alfalfa isn't too high yet. When your set up by a pivot that's infested, sometimes you can get two of them with one shot. Some days it will be windy, rainy and miserable, and you'll only get a handful all day long. Then on the very next day it will be sunny and nice and you'll get over a 100 of them in an hour. Luv sage rat huntin!!

[hoodat]

I am getting excited to think sage rat (squeaks) season will be here soon.
Where are you hunting?
I`m not trying to horn in on your hunting ground, just a general area.
I have been hunting them in eastern Oregon
I`d like to know where they are showing...dale

Well Dale, it seems that I'm over the hill from ya. I'm in Klamath county down near the Kali border. It's snowing like crazy here today. Sometimes we get some good squeak shooting on the snow.

Things are kind of sketchy for the squeaks these days since they've come up with a new poison that kicks the crap out of them. I've seen fields go from thousands of squirrels one day, to a half dozen a few days later.

I'm always looking for new fields, and may even by a Commifornia license this year. jd

[hoodat]

I've got a pretty good arsenal of squeak rifles, an arm load of good 22's, 218 Bee, 22 BR, 222, and my mobestest, a sweet shooting 20-222. This rifle shoots dime sized groups with almost boring consistency. No squeak is safe out to 300 yards or more. jd
Attachment 276040

[Iowa Fox]

tell us a bit about your 20-222 hoodat.

[hoodat]

tell us a bit about your 20-222 hoodat.

I took my old seventies vintage 700 in 222 Rem, and replaced the barrel with a PacNor #6 Sporter contour. Used the Remage nut system. PacNor chambered it with a very standard 20-222 reamer which pretty much allows me to neck down any 222 case, including Lapua, and have a "no turn" neck.

Loading for this cartridge has been easy as pie and I'm still using a lot of my old 222 brass without any problems.

I've dropped the barreled action into an old 40X rimfire stock that Numrich sold for under 60 bucks. These are an incredible stock for the money, and with a little barrel channel work, it fell together with a fit that is perfect. I haven't felt the need to install pillars or bedding beyond what it now has. I guess you could call it a poor mans 40X. jd

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[dale2242]

Poison has ruined several fields for sage rat hunting for us as well.
We have been shooting in the Klamath area the last couple of years.
We drive around until we find a field with lots of rats and stop at the nearest ranch house to ask permission to shoot.
Please shoot me a PM when you see them start to show up.
I live in Cave Junction.